Area-based Management

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Ocean and coastal area-based management, the practical application of ecosystem-based management, is the integrated, sustainable management of the full suite of human activities occurring in large, spatially defined areas, which take into account biophysical, socioeconomic, and jurisdictional considerations, wherein no-impact and low-use areas may be necessary elements of biodiversity protection.

Strategy DescriptionDespite their utility and benefits, protected areas alone are insufficient to comprehensively address problems related to human activities in ocean and coastal areas. The long-term sustainable use of the seas will only be realized when well-designed and well-managed protected areas serve within the broader context of healthy adjacent waters and landscapes. Ocean and coastal area-based management (ABM) addresses this need. The sustainable management of ocean and coastal areas must be undertaken at scales large enough to protect biodiversity and entire ecosystem processes while also addressing the competing resource demands for infrastructure, commerce, social services, water, energy, agriculture, and recreation. The Nature Conservancy is employing three tools to further ocean and coastal ABM: 1) multi-objective marine spatial planning (MSP); 2) marine protected area (MPA) networks; and 3) marine conservation agreements (MCAs). MSP can proactively identify and resolve conflicts between human uses and the environment. MPA networks can serve to protect biodiversity and enhance fisheries. While MCAs bring diverse stakeholders together to achieve mutually agreed upon conservation goals. These three tools can be used together or alone within ABM.